Is Diaz Ready for Primetime?

Here is an article by Chris Bragg over at City Hall News that looks at the 2013 citywide prospects for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. It touches on his political skills (he has been in office since he was 22) and his ability to work with the borough's politicians. Interestingly, Diaz takes a moment to take a shot at former BP Ferrer when he says, "Think about former borough presidents,.. Did they ever get the support of the leadership in Riverdale, when they wanted to run for higher office? Did Freddy [Ferrer]? No. Think about how we've been able to bring in the folks in Riverdale, the Jewish community, the Italians. Leadership and bringing people together has to be a quality that people are looking for in a mayor." The article then goes on to detail his two major albatrosses -- his father and the Kingsbridge Armory. After killing the $350 million investment and 2200 jobs at the Armory, Diaz appointed a task force to look at another development idea. However, Jack Kittle, a labor leader who served on the task force said "We think he's crippled any development there for generations, ... There's a reluctance to invest anywhere in the Bronx, if not the whole city." About 2013, Diaz is quoted as saying "Look man, whoever runs for mayor is going to have a story to tell, ... I'm working on my narrative." What do Bronxites think about his narrative?

Borough Presidents Split on Whether to Return Tainted Money

This article in The Brooklyn Paper explores what some of the Borough President's are doing with donations they received from a developer Aaron Malinsky, who was indicted for bribing State Senator Carl Kruger. Brooklyn BP Markowitz is unsure whether he will return the $20,000 he has received, but Manhattan BP Scott Stringer is donating the $31,000 he has received to charity. Bronx BP Diaz has received $21,000 but he has not said whether he will return it.

New Signs for the Bronx?

Bronx State Committeeman Ronald Savage has an idea to try to spice up the signs that welcome people to the Bronx by referring to it as the birthplace of rap. I am more fascinated that Mr. Savage refers to himself as the "first Hip Hopper elected to office". Not even sure what that means?

Daily News Uncovers Many Skeletons in Council's Closets

Following an exhaustive three-month investigation into the City Council, the Daily News began publishing its findings this week and the results are nothing short of shocking. Public perception of our elected officials is at an all-time low, and these findings only confirm our suspicions. In one instance, a Queens Councilman (Ruben Willis) was found to have outstanding warrants for petty larceny and nonpayment of child support. He turned himself after the story appeared. In another case, they found that Manhattan Councilwoman Inez Dickens owes the City a $100,000 in taxes for a couple of buildings she co-owns. Another story uncovered the fact that a number of Council members are living in affordable housing while at least four other Council members claimed places outside of their districts as their primary residence and claimed a a tax break for it. Finally, in a story released today, it was revealed that the homes of two Council members are in foreclosure (Dan Halloran and James Sanders both of Queens). In addition, they report that Bronx Councilman Oliver Koppell had as much as $270,000 in credit card debt in 2009.

What does this all mean? First, the Daily News should be commended for digging deeper. What is really ironic is that much of this was hiding in plain sight -- it's pretty difficult to hide an arrest warrant. Second, while elected officials are human and will sometimes make mistakes, there seems to be an inordinate number of Council members (remember there are only 51 in total) who are either not abiding by the law or who have shown very poor judgment. Hopefully, investigations like these will help to root that out so that voters are more aware of these issues before they go to the polls. Can you imagine what a major news organization would find with the same scrutiny of our state elected officials?

Senator Diaz Disclosure Bill Rejected

A bill pushed by State Senator Ruben Diaz to require all state elected officials to post their campaign donations on their websites was defeated in the State Senate. Diaz rightly said “Everybody is asking for transparency, but nobody wants transparency.”

BPs Discuss Budget Cuts Over Steak

Here is a piece by Dan Beekman at the Daily News about the 5 Borough Presidents getting together to chew the fat over steak and their anger over the proposed cuts to their budgets by Mayor Bloomberg. Bronx BP Ruben Diaz is quoted saying that the cuts "would force him to lay off up to a dozen staffers who work on issues such as housing, land use and education."

Councilman Cabrera's Residency Questioned: UPDATE

Bronx News Network picks up on a story first reported in the Daily News that questions the residency of a number of Councilmembers, including newbie Bronx Councilman Fernando Cabrera. It seems the Councilman claims a home he owns in Westchester as his primary residence and this got him a $1500 tax break. The article also mentions that Cabrera's residency was an issue in his 2009 campaign. When reached, Cabrera's office said it was an oversight and he would pay back the money immediately. UPDATE: Here is a Daily News article calling for investigations into some of the allegations of misdeeds by some Councilmembers that was highlighted in a series of articles in the News.